NHL Power Rankings: Predators make strongest opening statement, Rangers sink to the bottom

Taking stock of all 31 NHL teams after one week of the 2018-19 season

It's really hard to take stock of NHL teams even halfway through the season. It's even harder -- no, impossible -- to take stock of NHL teams just a week into the season.

But you know what? We're doing it anyway.

Some teams have played just one game, and others have played a handful. But hockey is back, and that's what matters! Early on, we've already got a couple of pretty solid realities: The defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals are not hung over from their title run, the Erik Karlsson trade did not make the San Jose Sharks invincible, and the New York Rangers most definitely are smack dab in the middle of a rebuild.

As we run through all 31 teams in this week's edition of NHL Power Rankings, keep in mind that we've got some gigantic risers and some monumental decliners -- but no definitive answers. The Caps may be hot along with the 2016-17 Western Conference champion Nashville Predators, and the Sharks may not amid a 1-2 start, but just because we thrust someone like the Dallas Stars into the top 10 after one week of hockey doesn't necessarily mean we think they're going to stay there. We're trying to balance season-long expectations with the small sample size we've got, so be prepared to get dizzy.

With one week down and many more to go, here's another look at the NHL pecking order: